Stockholm
by rhythmi
Summary: When Dawn's mission to stop Team Galactic at Lake Valor ends in failure, it's time for Team Galactic to try their hands at ruining her.


Stockholm

Chapter One

Porygon-Z expertly buzzed around the field, dodging every move thrown at zir. Not even the enemy's Croagunk could land hits. Surly we could defeat all of these grunts before they had time to detonate their bomb.

Porygon-Z looked back, only needing to make eye contact with me to know what I wanted. One powerful Discharge later, and the grunts who had been triple-teaming me were out cold.

The scream in agony was familiar. I had become quite the nuisance to Team Galactic. A few of the grunts had told me that they were even promised a promotion if they could defeat me. All that did was fill my ego.

Shoving them aside, I continued my way towards Lake Valor. The grunts didn't even bother stopping me. This tells me I've already won. If they're too scared to give me everything they've got on D-Day, well, they've already lost.

Approaching the lake, I see a commander standing at its edge, surrounded by grunts. They're busy speaking to one another –presumably about me– and trying to make sure everything is going according to plan. The commander was just standing there, calm as ever.

I haven't met this commander, yet. I've met Mars, Charon, Jupiter, and even their leader, Cyrus.

 _Interesting._

"Alright, Team Galactic. Time to give up." Okay, so maybe not my most heroic phrasing. It grabbed their attention, though, so it works for me.

The grunts form a barrier in front of their commander, each giving me a glare that was most certainly forced. I figure they're higher ranking grunts if they're hanging with the commander, but they're scared of me. I just know it.

The commander turns around. He has such an indifferent air about him. It's like he couldn't even be bothered with me right now.

"Relax, I've got this all under control," he soothes to the grunts.

They visually relax, letting their commander past their throng.

If they think their commander is going defeat me, they have another thing coming. I can't wait to wipe those looks off their faces.

He gives me a lookover, and I have half the mind to send Infernape on him for it.

"I recognize you," he muses in a voice so smooth and uncaring. I hate it. "Mars should be ashamed of herself for letting a child ruin her simple task at the windworks. Pathetic, really." He starts pacing around, not even bothering to look at me.

I was quite offended by the child comment. I may look young, but I'm eighteen. There's no way a child could be tasked with defeating Team Galactic.

"Jupiter, too. Letting you," he finally looked at me, "raid our Eterna City base. Arceus, it's like she _wanted_ you to make a hero out of yourself. I guess that's what puts me above the rest. I don't care to make you a hero. I only care about furthering the goals of Team Galactic, and anyone opposed to that must be crushed. Opposition will not be tolerated." It's strange he's yet to introduce himself. Mars, Jupiter, and Charon couldn't wait to tell me who they were. Maybe he doesn't even care who he is.

Finally, he grabbed for a poké ball. I thought his speech was never going to end.

The Golbat he releases hisses at me, but I don't budge an inch. I figured he would start with some poison type. Most of them do.

I send out Porygon-Z once more. In one Psybeam the bat pokémon falls.

The commander simply recalls the fallen pokémon like it's nothing. When he sends out his Bronzong, and the same result ensues, he does the same thing. It's like he's not even trying to actually battle me.

"As expected," he mumbles, looking at the final poké ball in his hands.

With a toss, a Toxicroak appears in front of me.

Porygon-Z makes eye contact with me, then goes for a Psybeam. A poison fighting type surly can't withstand that.

I was wrong, though. His Toxicroak was terrifyingly fast. With one swift Brick Break, Porygon-Z is out.

I figured it was no big deal.

Garchomp would be able to take care of this.

Releasing the sand dragon, she gives a loud snarl to the enemy.

The commander appears unfazed.

"Poison Jab."

Maybe he wasn't as smart as he was making himself out to be.

I had kind of hoped that he would put of something of a challenge. He looked like he was high ranking, and the way he talked about the other commanders made me think that he was either above them, or compensating for something.

I was, originally, leaning towards the former.

"Earthquake!"

Slamming her foot on the ground, Garchomp roared as the earth trembled. Some of the Galactic grunts fell to their feet, but their commander stood tall.

Toxicroak, however, was out before it could even attack.

I looked to my pokémon, confirming our victory, but when I looked back to the commander, he wasn't there.

He reappeared in front of me, an Alakazam at his side. Snatching my hand, he finally broke from that mellow persona. "I knew I wasn't going to defeat you. I would have been a fool to think otherwise. But you know what I can do?"

I said nothing. I didn't want to give any signs of fear. I wasn't scared of someone I backed into a corner. He's just desperate.

" _I can take you out of the picture_."

The last thing I heard before leaving the lake was a chorus of grunts laughing.

Teleportation had always made me feel horrendously sick. Teleporting with the commander and his Alakazam was no different.

The place we ended up was dark. I could barely see the commander that was standing too close to me.

He tosses me back against a wall. I scream only because I was surprised by the wall. I'm not scared of Team Galactic. I'm not scared of this nameless commander.

I'm not scared.

"Tell me, how did you enjoy your run as a hero?"

I stay quiet, if only to let him monologue. I needed to find out his name.  
I'm not scared.

"Was it fun to needlessly ruin all of Team Galactic's plans?"

I'm not scared.

"Well, I assume you did find it fun considering you kept doing it." His voice echoes around me, bouncing off the metal walls.

I'm not scared.

"However, I think I shall take the pleasure of telling you that you didn't actually ruin our plans. You may have set us back a bit, but you haven't put us out of commission."

I can sense him getting closer to me.

I'm _not_ scared.

"The windworks? We got all the energy we needed." His breath is hitting my face. If I even move a bit I know I'll be touching him. The thought disgusts me.

"Jupiter may not have gotten that old fool's pokémon, but that was a cover. We still have everything we needed from Eterna."

He grabs my arm, causing me to flinch.

When I try to pull away, he grips harder, and I fear I'll lose circulation to my hand.

 _I'm not scared._

"And now, the lake pokémon are ours. You failed."

 _I'm not scared._

"You tried to ruin us, but now it's _my_ turn to ruin _you._ "

 _I'm not scared._

 _I'm not scared._

 _I'm not scared._

 _I'm not scared._

 _I'm not scared._

 _I'm absolutely terrified._

* * *

 **I wrote this awhile back, and I'm only just now getting around to posting. No clue when/if I'll continue.**


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